Lost Cause
by Random Jelly Beans
Summary: Claire runs away from her home to live her life to the fullest, but the question is: Why? And is all the Mineral Town drama what Claire really needs? Rewrite of my first fanfiction ever. GrayxClairexDoctor
1. Prologue

**Lost Cause**

**Claire's POV**

I slowly sat up and pushed the covers off of my body. Glancing around, I listened; and hearing only quiet I knew everyone was asleep. I slid off my bed and felt around, locating the light switch. I found it and flicked it on, my small room suddenly bathed in light. My clock read four o'clock in the morning.

I moved quickly; grabbing a large backpack from the closet and zipping it open on my bed. I rummaged through my dresser, grabbing some jeans and T-shirts along with undergarments. I changed into one of my pairs of jeans and my lucky blue tank top before slipping on my sneakers. I pulled open my sock drawer and found my entire life savings right where I left it- inside my old knee socks I wore back in elementary school.

I counted it out one last time and came up with the same sum as always: One thousand, one hundred, twenty-five dollars and ten cents on the dot. I put it all back in the sock and shoved that into the bag. I fingered the silver, heart-shaped locket that hung around my neck. Opening it up, I studied the picture before zipping up the luggage.

It was well worn, and a little faded. My mother and father were standing side-by side to the left of the frame, while my sisters and I all crowded around the center. My mom had short brown hair and dazzling purple eyes. I never understood how her eyes could be such a color. My father was blonde, like me; and he had blue eyes, like me. My older sister looked just like my mother, and my younger sister had brown hair and blue eyes. I was standing in the very center, only eight at the time. It had been nine years since that picture was taken…

I sighed and closed the locket before running a brush through my long hair and pulling it back in a ponytail. Over at my desk I picked up a pencil and a sheet of paper and frantically scribbled down a note:

_Dear everyone,_

_Sorry for leaving like this. I just have to. I need to live out life to the fullest, you know? I decided I can't do that here, where I'm so sheltered. I'll call you when I find where I'm going, okay? I love you guys!_

_Love and kisses,_

_Claire xoxoxo_

I picked up my pack and slung it over my shoulder as I grabbed the letter. I turned off the light and closed the door to my bedroom one last time. I walked down the cramped hallway and immediately entered the living-room-slash-kitchen area. I stuck the letter on the fridge with a magnet and turned slowly, examining my family's apartment –my home- for one last time.

I dragged myself over to the door and opened it slowly before creeping out into the dirty hall and closing the door. I walked down the stairs and through the lobby's exit, becoming immersed in a thick, smoggy smell that seemed to cover most of the city I lived in. I walked the few blocks to the train station and bought a ticket to anywhere I could afford before leaving my only home behind for good.

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I briskly walked down the dock and onto the beach of yet another town I was "moving into". It had been over two years since I left my home, and I was now almost twenty years old. After I got to that first town, I just couldn't find work. I was staying out of random hotels all around the region, and I wasn't liking it. After my money started depleting faster than I could make it, I decided it was time for a bigger, more permanent move.

I found an advertisement in the paper for some farm in Mineral Town, and it was cheap. Really, _really_ cheap. I called for it without a second thought, and here I was.

I looked around the beach, noticing a restaurant and some sort of shack next to the dock. I decided to just find my own way, as I wasn't very outgoing and didn't want to talk to anyone unless it was completely necessary. I walked up the steps at the other end of the beach and found myself in what looked like a town square. It had two roads; one to the left and one to the right.

I decided to go right. I didn't know where it would lead me, but that wasn't anything I was concerned about. It's not like it mattered if I got lost or anything; my well-being didn't mean a thing to me anymore.

I took off down the selected path, humming randomly in that warm spring morning.

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**Okay... I was DYING to rewrite my first fanfiction, so I am. I'm thinking I'm going to take a break from One Winter for a bit while I focus on this, but the others WILL BE FINISHED. They're just hard to write when they feel like a chore... So, stay tuned for more parts of "Lost Cause", and expect them short and numerous. lol.**

**NEW POLL IN MY PROFILE. And, I got a name change, if you didn't notice. I was monkeygirl82000, but now, I am Random Jelly Beans.**

**Review, please! :D**


	2. First Impressions

**Oh, only one review? D: Oh well, thank you my one reviewer! YOU ARE AWESOME.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.**

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**Claire's POV**

I found myself in front of a Church as I slowed my skip down to a halt. I glanced around, noticing no one anywhere nearby, so I walked up and tugged on the doors. They wouldn't budge. I looked at my watch, and seeing that it was only seven in the morning, I figured they didn't open their doors yet.

I shrugged and walked down the path to the left; the only direction I hadn't been. I came up to a building with a sign in front that read: "Clinic: Open 9am-4pm Closed Wednesdays"

I thought for a moment. I needed to familiarize myself with the Clinic, seeing as how I'd probably spend plenty of time there. But, they weren't open, so… I'd just have to come back another time.

I turned on my heel and went to walk away from the door, when I felt something heavy crash into my back.

"Oof," I grunted, stumbling forward. I felt someone grab my arm and steady me before I fell to the ground.

"Are you okay?"

I turned around and came face-to-face with the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen. He had black hair piled on his head, and deep onyx eyes that showed the slightest amount of concern. He was tall and lean; he hovered over me a good five inches. He looked strong and healthy.

"U-uh, yeah, I'm fine," I choked out, still studying the young man. He looked extremely relieved for a second, but then all his emotion just… disappeared. His eyes were like cold, black stones and he didn't even have a hint of a smile on his face.

He looked totally indifferent, and it sort of creeped me out.

"That's good. I've never seen you around before, have I? You must be the new farmer. I'm Mineral Town's doctor. You may call me Doctor," He explained, not noticing my stifled giggle at his name, "I work at this Clinic with my nurse, Elli. Come by anytime you feel sick. We also sell medicine, but I'd just recommend not overworking yourself in the first place to prevent illness. We're closed today, though; and that's why I'm headed out."

I blinked. "O-Okay… I'm Claire," I held out my hand, "Nice to meet you, Doctor." He shook my hand briskly and I smiled slightly. 'Doctor isn't too bad,' I thought.

"Did you bring a copy of your medical files with you when you came? It's important we have these things, so we can take better care of you if you ever need care at the Clinic," He stated rather matter-of-factly. I bit my lip.

"I'm sorry! I didn't bring any. You see, when I left, I was in such a hurry… Ugh, I'm sorry," I kept apologizing, but it didn't seem to faze him in any way.

"I see. Can you tell me your full name and your last doctor, so I can get a copy?"

I inwardly smacked my forehead, "Of course! My name's Claire Zoey Carthrage, and my doctor was, um, Doctor William J. Harrison, I think."

Doctor scribbled this information down on a piece of paper with a pen that he pulled out of the pocket of his coat. He looked up at me and I smiled again, before adding, "So, I'll let you be on your way, then. See you later, Doctor!"

I quickly walked down the path and into the next building, eager to just be alone. Like I said before, I didn't like talking to people unless it was absolutely necessary.

**Doctor's POV**

I watched her puzzlingly as she suddenly took off; fleeing to the Supermarket. I shrugged to myself and went back into the Clinic so I could get the new farmer's files before Elli left for her Grandmother's.

"Oh, Doctor! Why're you still here?" The brown haired, brown-eyed nurse asked me, shocked. I handed her the scrap of paper with Claire's information on it.

"Here, this is the new farmer's old doctor. Is it possible for you to get her files before you leave?" I asked. Her face lit up.

"Oh, yes! I'll get right on it!" She chirped and ran over to her desk. I shook my head slightly at her enthusiasm and went into my office through the dividers.

After several moments of sorting random papers, Elli came in with a manila folder. She set it on my desk and smiled, "Here it is! Doctor Harrison faxed it,"

I nodded and picked it up as the young nurse excused herself from the room. I scanned it over quickly –not very thoroughly, and set it back on the desk as I stood up. I'd examine it more carefully later after I came back from Mother's Hill.

**Claire's POV**

I trudged down the brown-brick lane towards my farm. I'd met a girl named Karen and her parents at the Supermarket I'd run into earlier. Karen gave me a free bag of seeds, which I gratefully accepted. After that, I met the Mayor, Thomas, and the police man Harris. I also met a sweet old woman named Ellen, and her grandson Stu, who decided to give me a beetle. That boy was so cute. I found out that the two of them were related to Elli –the nurse at the Clinic.

At the Library I met a shy girl named Mary, who had the same eyes as the Doctor, but hers were much softer. I met her parents as well, and they were nice. I had passed a Winery and met a talkative woman named Manna, and her husband Duke. They told me to come by and buy wine anytime I wanted. I had entered the Inn of the town and met an unbelievably peppy girl named Ann. She also seemed like a sort of tomboy to me. Her father, Doug, owns the Inn, and they cooked for me. Their food was delicious, and they made me promise to come back soon.

After I finished eating, I went to leave and accidentally bumped into a sad-looking boy, who introduced himself as Cliff, but then he just walked up the stairs without another word. I ended up back at the square after that, so I took the path that led south that time. I met an elderly man named Barley who runs the livestock ranch, and his sweet little granddaughter May.

After that, I stumbled across a loose chicken in the path, and I picked it up. A pink-haired girl, whose name I found out was Popuri, came and thanked me for catching the creature. Her brother, Rick, then came out and started scolding her, so I didn't hesitate to take that as an opportunity to leave.

Now I was walking down the path, and the sun was setting behind me. I was incredibly tired from all the first meetings I'd had. 'I must've met the whole town,' I thought. I groaned as I approached _another_ building. I decided I might as well go in, since it would be best to just get all the introductions done in one day.

As I opened the door, the stuffy, hot scent of burning metal entered my nostrils. I realized that this was the blacksmith's shop. I entered completely and shut the door, only just after that hearing the gruff shouting of some man.

"What's even _wrong_ with it?!" He bellowed, and I winced at both the volume and tone of his voice. I couldn't see who was speaking; the man was behind a large shelf. I could see the person he was arguing with, though: a short, elderly man with a large bald spot that was standing behind the counter.

"What's wrong with it?! Can you not _see_? Bah! That is why you'll _never_ make a good blacksmith!" The older man shouted back, causing me to cringe at the words he spoke. They were so… blunt; so un-encouraging.

"I don't need this," The other man said as he turned towards the door. He stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed me standing in the doorway. I practically gasped when I saw him.

He had hard, deep blue-gray eyes and short, shaggy reddish hair peeking out from under a blue cap. He was muscular, you could tell. I took it back; Doctor wasn't the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen.

I felt his intense and angry glare on me and shrunk back, forgetting his appearance. I waved weakly, "Um, hi? I'm sorry if I came in while you two were, uh, fight-"

"Mind your own damn business," The young man snapped, and I felt my jaw drop. _No one_ talked to me like that, and I wasn't going to let some random stranger get away with it.

"Excuse me?!" I snapped back. He looked at me fiercely, and I swear I saw a glint of amusement flash through those eyes of his.

"You heard me," He grunted, "so go get the hell outta here,"

"Make me," I taunted, then suddenly not liking how this was going to end up. I glared at him unchangingly, and it seemed like we were now locked in a stare-down. I was certain I'd win. If I could go four hours without peeling my eyes off of a pair of shoes I wanted back in middle school, I could most certainly out-glare some inconsiderate jerk.

"GRAY!"

We both jumped nearly a foot into the air at the sudden scream of that elderly man, causing us to both snap our heads his direction.

"What's gray?" I asked, looking around the room. The young man glowered at me furiously, and I suddenly felt incomprehensibly stupid for some reason. "…What?"

The young man lowered the red brim of his hat as he muttered, "My _name_ is Gray, stupid,"

I was about to scream at him for calling me stupid, but I noticed him smirking. 'Wait, was he just joking around this whole time?!' I wondered.

"Um, sorry, I didn't know," I mumbled, my cheeks flushing, "I'm Claire the new farmer, and if you want to keep a clear conscience, you shouldn't make me mad."

He looked at me questionably, "And why is that? I don't care how _you_ feel, so why would it bother _me_?"

I rolled my eyes angrily and left, remembering to slam the door on my way out.

**Gray's POV**

"Well, she's certainly something, eh?"

I turned around and faced my grandfather, an annoyed expression plastered onto my face, "Who, _her_?" I nodded towards the door the blonde had just left out of. My grandfather chuckled.

"Yes, her. She really had some feistiness, didn't she? To think she managed to hold her own in an argument with you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I grumbled, "And why am I even here this late again? I thought I got off at one, and it's almost five,"

"You broke that necklace right before you were supposed to leave. We began arguing and then that girl showed up. I don't know how long we fought," He said casually. I groaned.

"The Library's closed by now! Mary's going to be worried…" I muttered to myself. I took off out of the smoky, stifling shop and back towards the Inn. I couldn't help but let my thoughts wonder back to that girl –Claire; I think her name was- and what she said:

'_If you want to keep a clear conscience, you shouldn't make me mad.'_

And then how I replied:

_'I don't care how you feel.'_

I shuddered. That seemed a little harsh. But what in goddess' name did she mean, anyways? What was I supposed to say? Oh well, what's done is done. I shoved my hands in my pockets and continued my walk to the Inn in the darkness of the cool spring night.

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**REVIEW PLEASE. Pretty, pretty please? It'll get better as I keep going, but for now, just remember to review! It means so much to me! :D**


	3. Beautiful Farm?

**Okay, more reviewers this time! Yay!**

**DiaDiamond95- **_Ohohoho, I hate Doctor with the white-hot intensity of one million burning suns. But I used to be a fangirl of his (shocking, I know), so in the original version of this fic, it was a DocxClaire. The rewrite is the love triangle. ...Why do I feel like I've typed that before? If I already told you that, forgive me for being repetitive. ^^;; Oh, and I'm trying REALLY hard to keep everyone in character in this story. XD_**  
**

**HarvestLove- **_Awesome._

**Tanikins- **_Hahaha, I tried to make that part funny. Imagine Gray's face. XDDD And I hope it'll be Graire, too._**  
**

**Durotos- **_You're the second person to comment on liking Doc's description. X3 I'm sorry for rushing it, but it had to be done so that the story could go on more smoothly later. Everyone will have their moments, though, so don't worry! XD__  
_

**  
Now... On with the story! :D  
**

**I don't own Harvest Moon.**

**Claire's POV**

I got to the end of the path long after the sun had set, it seemed. I could just barely make out the figure of my hand when I looked down at it. I felt the ground change from the hard stone of the path to soft padded grass and I knew I was at my new farm. Unfortunately, it was impossible to inspect my land in the darkness.

I felt around to my new house and turned the doorknob, was it was located. I fumbled around for a light switch, and much to my dismay, found none. I grumbled incoherently as I bumped around in the dark, trying to find the bed. I knew there was one, because the advertisement describing the farm said the 'comfortable cottage nestled on the spacious land' came fully furnished. Finally I shuffled into what felt like a bed; plopped down on it; and shut my eyes, allowing sleep to overcome me.

I felt heat on my face. Oh goddess, it was warm. Was I on fire? No, no… It was something else…

My eyelids shot up and I was momentarily blinded by golden sunlight, causing my gaze to squint shut. I reopened my eyes slowly, my hand now shading myself from the light. Apparently there was a window on the wall that my bed was pushed up against, and it was in the perfect spot for the morning sun to glare right into my eyes. I noticed the sun was just peeking up off the horizon, and I glanced down at my watch.

"Six o'clock?!" I screeched. I could not believe how early I woke up. 'I did go to sleep early last night, though…' I mused, 'Hm,' I turned away from the window and felt my jaw drop at the sight of my 'fully furnished cottage'.

It had no lighting, like I had realized last night, but it also lacked almost everything else. It had no seating, no kitchen, no _bathroom_—Heck, the only thing it did have was an old wooden table, a toolbox of sorts, and my bed. Actually, I lied; it did have a television, but it looked so ancient and dirty I'd be surprised if it worked. The bed was old and, well, dirty—It didn't even have any bedding on it other than the stained pillow that sat on the end. There was also a small table next to the bed with a little green book on it.

I walked over to the book and picked it up cautiously, examining it for any sort of bug or other filthy objects. When I found the book safe, I wiped off the thick layer of dust and found that in large gold letters it had the word "DIARY" written across the top. I opened the cover and flipped through the pages. I frowned when I found the entire journal empty. There wasn't even a name in the cover.

I sighed and set it back down on the nightstand before turning back towards my pigsty of a house. Everything in there was caked with dust and dirt; I could even see my footprints on the floor from when I came in last night. There were no blinds or curtains on either of the two smudged and dirty windows. I already had enough work to do _inside_ my house to occupy me for a good week or two, and I hadn't even seen the outside yet. I sighed heavily and opened the door of my shack, the cool and fresh morning air hitting me as I stepped outside.

I observed the field with predicted disgust. It was large, yes; but the patch looked like a miniature jungle. Weeds and braches and rocks were strewn about as far as the eye could see, and there was a fair amount of boulders and stumps throughout the area too. I scanned the rest of my property quickly, taking everything in.

There was a small building that appeared to be a chicken coop down to the south, and right next to it was a water mill of sorts. I looked to the east and found a barn and a stable, along with what I supposed was a lumber shed. The large wooden box directly in front of me had to have been a shipping area, I decided. But what pleased me the most on the entire farm was the large tree near the pond. I jogged up to it, examining the beehive plastered to its higher branches. I tilted my head to the side, stretched up onto my tip-toes, and carefully reached up towards it…

"Hello?"

I stumbled backwards from surprise and landed on my behind. I glanced towards my farm's entrance and blinked. There was a totally buff guy staring at me. I got up quickly and jogged back over towards him after brushing off my jeans.

"Hi, sorry about that," I held out my hand, "my name's Claire. What can I do for you?"

The man shook my hand and I cringed at his strong grip. "The name's Zack. I'm the Shipper around these parts. In order to ship something, you-"

"You drop it into that box over there, right?" I interrupted. He looked at me strangely for moment and nodded.

"Yes, exactly. I'll come by everyday, except festival days, at five o'clock and pick everything up."

I furrowed my brow, "Okay, but when do I, well-"

"Get paid?" I nodded, so he continued, "Oh, I'll pay you on the spot. If you're not here, I'll leave it in the bin, okay?"

I blinked. "O-Of course! That's wonderful! Um, I'll see you around then. Thanks!" I called as he turned and exited out the way he came.

As soon as I knew he was gone, I squealed. Now, I don't mean just a little "eep" noise. No, I mean a serious "Oh-my-goddess-are-you-totally-serious-I-can't-believe-it" fangirl squeal that you only use when something major happens, like the hottest guy in your senior class asks your best friend out—or something along those lines.

'I'm getting paid _daily_! Like, on-the-spot cash!' I thought. Oh goddess, I felt good after that. You don't get that kind of pay in the city, that's for sure.

I skipped down towards my field, eager to begin earning money to fix up my house with. I spied a huge green weed sprouting out of the dirt, and I smirked. Bending over, I grabbed hold of its stalk and yanked as hard as my tiny arms would allow. After a series of short and powerful tugs, the stubborn plant finally gave up and came lose from the ground. I was sent flying backwards, and once again, landed on my behind.

I blew a strand of my hair out of my face and inspected my prize. I'd managed to get its root, which was great, but after calculating how difficult pulling this weed was and how many more there were, I figured I'd be out there a long, long time.

I sighed and got up. I faced my monstrosity of a field and glowered at it as I muttered, "Oh, its on now. You'll be clean by tomorrow, or my name isn't Claire Zoey Carthrage."

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**:O It looks like Claire's bitten off more than she can chew, eh? But look! She's got plenty of determination! Will she be able to pull it off? ...Review and we'll see. XD**


	4. Antisocial

**:O I only got one review? You people make me so sad.**

**I do not own Harvest Moon.**

**Claire's POV**

Heat. Burning. Pain. Annoying.

Those were the words running through my head as my eyelids fluttered open, and I was once again nearly blinded by the brightness of my surroundings. My surroundings… Woah. Wait a minute. I was lying on a white bed, in a white room, with bright lights shining from somewhere I did not know. Did I, like, die?!

"Oh, so you're awake now, hm?"

I jumped in the direction of the deep voice, my chest heaving. My shoulders slumped in relief when I saw the Doctor walking through a small doorway in the dividers. I was in the Clinic…

"Yeah, I'm awake…" I said slowly. He walked over to the foot of the metal-framed bed.

"How do you feel?" He asked. I stared at my sneaker-clad feet, my forehead creased in thought.

"Um... I feel… Confused," I finished. He sighed quietly.

"I mean do you ache anywhere? Can you remember what happened at all?"

"Oh. I don't have any aches... Actually, my back hurts some," I explained. He stared at my face intently.

"Where does it hurt, exactly?" He asked as he came around to the side of the bed. I sat with my legs hanging off the side of the cot, and he continued, "Do you think you fell on it?"

"Well, I was weeding in my field and clearing it out, so I think it's just sore from the farm work. I'm fine, really, Doctor." I said. He bit his lip; probably a nervous habit, similar to my own. I always bit my lip when I was nervous.

"Are you certain? You were unconscious-"

"I was?!" My eyes widened. He nodded.

"Yes, you were. Claire, you need to watch your stamina consumption more carefully. You might get yourself sick," He explained. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, okay… But, how did I get here if I fainted in my field?"

Doctor hesitated, "Well…"

**Gray's POV, Earlier that day**

Cliff and I were walking down the path from the Square. Doug made us take a walk, since it was 'a nice and sunny day'. The sun was actually just setting when we passed the Yodel Ranch.

"Hey, guys!"

Cliff and I stopped our silent walk when we heard an unusual man's voice. You could hardly tell its owner was male, the voice was so high. Cliff turned around and I saw none other that the odd chicken-boy of Mineral Town running towards us from the Poultry Farm, his long blonde hair bobbing in rhythm with his step.

"Rick," I nodded when he finally caught up. I wasn't particularly great friends with him—Hell, I wasn't really friends with anyone except Cliff and Mary—but I wasn't going to shun the poor guy.

Cliff remained silent as we continued walking, this time with an apron-clad blonde guy in our party. He didn't ask where we were going, which surprised me: Normally Rick was all about plans and control. He was definitely a control freak.

"So… Where are you guys headed?"

Nevermind, he did ask where we were going. "We're just on a walk," I muttered, not moving my gaze from the ground as we walked by the Blacksmith Shop. Rick hummed in response, and Cliff didn't say a word.

We continued on our walk in silence as we got to the intersection of paths next to Gramps' shop. I chanced a glance over towards the old farm, and caught myself staring back. Were my eyes playing a trick on me, or did I _really _see that new Claire girl lying in a heap in the middle of her field? I blinked. She was still there. I let my eyes widen as I opened my mouth.

"Uh, guys… Isn't that the new farmer lying dead in her field?"

My two companions stopped dead in there tracks before turning around, giving me the most confused looks I'd ever received. I pointed towards the blonde-haired body sprawled out in that old farm, and Rick gasped. Cliff looked like he was going to faint.

Rick took off towards her, so I had no choice but to follow. I had no idea what Cliff was doing. When we reached her, she was laying on her stomach in the dirt, surrounded by uprooted weeds. I noticed her back moving up and down, so I knew she was breathing. 'She's alive…' I thought in relief.

Rick had her turned onto her back and… He looked like he was getting ready to perform CPR or something. I rolled my eyes and shoved him away from the poor girl.

"She's still breathing, Rick. I don't think she wants CPR," I mumbled, and he shot me the most pathetic excuse for a death-glare I'd ever seen.

"Whatever," He pouted. Goddess, what was with his family and pouting? I sighed and focused my attention on the unconscious—and slightly blue-skinned—girl collapsed in the dirt.

"Gray, we gotta move her or something. What if it rains?" I turned around at the sound of that quiet voice. Cliff had finally decided to come up, I noticed.

"Yeah, I guess," I nodded curtly. We all stood completely still for several minutes, waiting for someone to pick her up. No one moved.

I glanced over at Rick. I didn't think he was even _capable_ of carrying her, what with how noodle-like his arms were. Cliff, on the other hand, was pretty strong; only he wasn't anywhere near bold enough to carry a girl he didn't even know. I rolled my eyes and sighed as I bent down and lifted the dirt-covered farmer, bridal-style.

"Woah, what the hell. She hardly weighs a thing!" I exclaimed in shock. It was true; she didn't even come close to the box of ores I move around at work's weight. Rick looked at me skeptically.

"Seriously? Or are you just saying that so I'll ask to carry her and then end up dropping her?" Rick asked warily. Cliff stared at him blankly and I snorted.

"You're really paranoid, man," I said. Rick stared at Claire, and I exhaled, irritated after a few moments. "Are you taking her or what?!"

Rick snapped out of his daze and scrambled over to take the girl from me. He stared at her in astonishment as he held her without a problem. "Dude, she weighs like _nothing_!"

Cliff slowly walked over, curiosity getting the best of him. Rick held the limp blonde out to him, and after a moment of hesitating, scooped her out of the chicken farmer's arms.

He furrowed his brow, "Wow,"

I decided I'd had enough of playing 'Pass the Unconscious Chick', so I turned back on the path. A moment later, Rick and Cliff followed, Claire still in Cliff's grip. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but I didn't think much of it. It was a short enough walk to the Clinic.

**Claire's POV**

"Are you serious?!" I gasped. Doctor had already gone back to his office, and his nurse Elli was now chatting with me. Elli was really nice. She had a sweet, high voice and the warmest smile I'd ever seen. She seemed a bit scatterbrained, though, but who wasn't?

"I am!" She giggled, "Cliff, Gray, and Rick were the ones who brought you in! And Cliff was even carrying you!"

I flushed, even though I'd never formally met this Cliff fellow, "W-well, is it that odd? Rick seemed nice enough when I met him, and Cliff sounds okay, it's just… _Gray_," I shriveled my nose in disgust, remembering the hot-tempered man. Elli looked at me questioningly.

"What about Gray?"

I sighed. "He's the most inconsiderate jerk I've ever met!" I waved my arms around in emphasis. Elli looked taken aback, her brown eyes wide.

"Really? Gray's been one to keep to himself, mostly. What's the word I'm think of…" She put her finger to her chin, deep in thought, "Oh! That's right. He's _antisocial_."

I gaped at her, "Are you serious? _Gray_? He seemed pretty open, if you ask me," I huffed, crossing my arms. Elli watched me quizzically.

"Well, that's odd. He normally won't say a word to anyone he doesn't have an extensive relationship with," she lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned closer towards me, "I think that the only people he even acknowledges are Mary and Cliff."

"Why them?" I ask dumbly.

"Cliff's his roommate, and Mary and him are practically dating."

"Oooooh, Gray's got a girlfriend?" I ask in astonishment. Then my eyes widen, "And she's _Mary_?! As in, Mary: the sweet, quiet, shy librarian?"

Elli nodded. I couldn't believe it. What did she _see_ in him?

"Well, that's unexpected," I leaned back on the bed we were sitting on. I wasn't supposed to leave the Clinic until the next morning, since I was 'so tired,' as Elli had said. I wasn't exactly opposing the arrangement, however; I wasn't in a hurry to go back to my disgusting wreck of a house.

Elli giggled, "I know. Hey, have you met Ann yet? She invited me over to a slumber party on the fifth, and I think you might want to come. All the girls'll be there, so you could make some more friends!"

I shot up off my back, "Really? Wait, so you're my _friend_?" The brown-eyed girl nodded enthusiastically. I smiled, "Awesome! Elli, you are my first official friend in Mineral Town!" I exclaimed. We burst into laughter after a moment of complete silence.

If any of the other girls were like Elli, I wasn't missing that party for the world.

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**Oh, lookie there, Claire's got a friend! And I want you all to think for a moment, just _picture _the whole scenario when we were in Gray's POV. How weird would that look to a passerby? XDDD**

**Please, please, PLEASE review! Things are going to get more and more dramaticallized from now on, and I'm going to LOVE writing it!**


	5. Spreading the News

**:O OMG. I couldn't update last weekend! I was sick! I'm so sorry! But guess what...?**

**DOUBLE UPDATE WEEKEND! WOOOOO!**

**Yesterday I went insane writing, and now I have the next four chapters done. Oh yeah. I feel good. Now, for the review replies!**

**Durotos- _I always pictured Cliff like that. He just bugged me with his quiet-ness... Hm. Oh, and there might be a reason Claire is so light. Might. I'm not sure yet. Hehehe... ._**

**DiaDiamond95- _Elli is going to be very important in the story later, and actually, so is Mary. They might be the most important characters in there, other than Claire. Oooops, I shouldn't say so much... XD_**

**  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.**

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**Ann's POV**

"Seriously, Elli?" I asked the slightly nervous nurse in front of me. She had just told me to make room for another guest for the sleepover later that night, and I was caught off guard, to say the least.

"Mhm," She nodded, "She seems really nice! You should've seen how unsure her face looked when I told her she was my friend. She even had to ask to make sure she heard me right! It seems like she didn't really have any friends before, or something…" She trailed off. I sighed.

"But what if there's a _reason_ she didn't have any friends? Like she's a backstabber or something?"

Elli gave me a hopeless look and studied the floor. Well, it wasn't my fault I wanted to look out for my friends. Actually, that new Claire girl seemed really nice when she came by the Inn. I have nothing against strangers, really. There was just something about her—like she was running from something or she had some huge secret—that made me a little uneasy.

"Come on, Ann," Elli prodded, "she needs more friends, and since everyone's coming to this thing, I think she should too. Mary could do with some more friends, come to think of it, and Claire said that she thought Mary was sweet. It would be for the common good of everyone!"

"Fine! She can come. Chill, Elli," I said, putting my hand on the eager nurse's shoulder. She smiled approvingly.

"Yay! Thanks Ann, we'll come by later!" Elli called as she skipped out the wooden door. I shook my head. That Elli…

Popuri's POV

I carefully reached down to pick up the small white egg on the ground before me. I pulled it up and examined it, smiling.

"Popuri!"

"Eep!" I shrieked as the eggs slipped out of my hand and shattered beneath me. I turned, preparing to scream at my intruder, but caught myself as they ran over to me.

"Omigosh, Poppy! I'm so so so sorry!" A frantic Elli gasped, "I didn't mean to scare you!"

"It's fine, I guess," I mutter, staring down at the goopy mess, thinking of what Rick would say when he found out I broke _another_ one, "So, what's up?"

She appeared to be searching her mind for the reason she came. A moment later, her face lit up with realization. "Have you met Claire yet?"

I nodded, remembering the quiet blonde girl, "Yup. She seemed a little timid, didn't she?"

Elli looked at me quizzically, "Not really. She was probably just nervous 'cause you and Rick were most likely fighting, huh?"

"Nuh-uh," I shook my head, matter-of-factly, "He just was telling me not to let the chickens run off…" I spoke slowly, "And then we started yelling at each other."

Elli giggled, "See? You two just scared her off, that's all. She's really nice when you talk to her."

"Really? So you've talked to her?" She nodded, so I continued, "So, what's she like?"

"She's sweet. I think you'd like her. As a matter of fact, she sort of reminded me of you, Popuri."

I smiled. But then, a thought hit me: 'Hm… Is that a good thing? What if she, like, replaces me?'

"That's cool," I said, "I should go down and talk to her later, I guess."

"Oh, she's coming to the sleepover tonight at the Inn, so you'll see her there. That's why I came, actually; to tell you." Elli said quickly, practically shaking with excitement, "Hey, Poppy, I'll talk to you later tonight, okay? I have to be back at work soon, and before that I need to run some errands."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you later! Bye!" I waved as my friend skipped off the farm. I sighed after she was out of sight. What do I do about this Claire situation?

**Mary's POV**

I pulled a large green book off the shelf and stepped down the aisle a bit, positioning the book in a new spot. I had been doing that same thing for hours now, and I'd finally finished.

"Perfect," I muttered, scanning the newly organized bookcases of my beautiful library. I'd been the only librarian of Mineral Town since I was only sixteen, after my mom passed it down to me. It was filled with my father's books, and a few others, so I felt obliged to take care of the place as best as possible. Of course, I would've done so anyways, even if my dad didn't write the books.

Suddenly the door flew open, startling me out of my thoughts and sending a few books flying off their shelf. "Mary!"

I smiled feebly, "Elli, hello,"

"So, did you meet the new girl?" She asked, brimming with anticipation.

I thought for a moment and the image of a skinny blonde girl appeared in my head, "Oh, yes. Claire, I think her name was, right?"

"Yup! What did you think of her?"

"Hmmmm," I hummed, thinking, "Well, she seemed literate, and she showed an interest in reading."

Elli beamed, "I knew you'd like her! She's coming to the sleepover, so you'll get to hang out with her some more. Awesome, right?"

"I-"

"Excellent!" The brown-eyed lady cut me off, smiling broadly, "See you tonight!"

And then she left in the same manner she entered, sending several more books sailing towards the floor. Oh, Elli…

**Karen's POV**

I dropped a bin filled with bags of flour on the floor, sending a loud 'thump' echoing through the main room of my family's Supermarket. It wasn't really even all that 'super'; all we carried were the very basics for cooking. I lifted a few bags out of the box and set them on the counter, pushing them back so they were snug against the wall.

"Kare!"

I spun around towards the door at the sound of my name and smiled. "Elle!"

The petite nurse ran over to me and began to help me stock the shelf. "So, have you met Claire yet?"

I stopped still bending over the box, "Claire?"

"Yeah, you know, the new girl…?" She looked at me incredulously. Claire… Hm… Where did I hear that name before?

"Oh! You mean the blonde chick?" I asked suddenly. She nodded energetically.

"She just moved onto the old farm. Did she come in here yet?" Elli asked. I nodded.

"Oh, yeah. She came in the other day. She seemed a little nervous or something. Weird, huh? Who'd be nervous around _me_?"

My friend giggled strangely. "Right, Kare. Um, I think she was probably just a little freaked out. You know, 'cause she just moved here and all."

I nodded in agreement. A semi-awkward silence fell, so I piped up, "So… I can't wait for the party tonight. It's gonna be awesome!"

Elli's face lit up, "Yeah it is! And Claire's coming, too, so we'll have even more company!"

I furrowed my brow, "Wait, Blonde Chick is coming to _our_ party?"

Elli rolled her eyes, "Her name is Claire, not 'Blond Chick'. And she's really nice! I'm sure you'll love her."

"Okay, Elle," I grinned hesitantly, "fine. She'll come, and we'll make her a regular Mineral Girl!"

Elli giggled fervently, "_Mineral Girl_? What's that supposed to be?"

I shook my head, "Nothing, nothing… Look, it's already like four. You'd better get back to the Clinic or whatever before Doc fires you."

That did it. Her face drained and she fled towards the door, barely muttering a "goodbye". Oh, that Elli…

**Claire's POV**

I studied my field in the fading light of the setting sun. It seemed like I had done a great deal of work on it before I'd passed out before, but I couldn't clear the boulders and stumps. There weren't any more weeds, and the twigs and branches and smaller rock were now lining my field. It didn't look as nice as a normal fence, but hey, it was less expensive and it works the same. I checked my watch—One of the few things I still had from the city—and noticed it was almost five o'clock on the fifth.

"Oh my gosh, Ann's party!" I gasped and ran into my house.

It was getting a little too dark in there, as the sun was setting and it was the only thing that would brighten my shack. I hadn't gotten much cleaning done with all the work I'd done in my field, so there was still layers of dust and dirt on pretty much everything. I decided then and there that with the money I had left after I bought my seeds, I would buy stuff to clean my house up.

"Claire! We're gonna be late for the sleepover!"

I turned around to come face-to-face with an out-of-breath brunette. "Elli, don't scare me like that!"

"I'm sorry! Hurry and get your stuff! We're already behind!" She breathed. I grabbed my rucksack that I'd already stocked with my clothes and whatnot. I nodded to her and she smiled.

"Let's go,"

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**Hurry, hurry! Review for this chapter and then go read the next one and review it! BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS! XD**


	6. Fun Times

**Warning: Karen is a bit OOC, I think. I never go to know her in-game, so she's mean. Whenever I would talk to her, all she'd say is, "Hello," and I'd talk to her everyday for years.**

**So yeah. I have reasons... .**

**Enjoy!**

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**Claire's POV**

I clutched the silver locket dangling from my neck as I followed Elli into the Inn. She was so excited; she was practically bouncing off the walls. I, on the other hand, was feeling quite the opposite.

"Elli, are you sure about this? Was everyone okay with me coming? It seems a lot like I invited myself or something…" I fidgeted with the chain on the locket.

"Oh, Claire, relax. Everyone was fine with you coming. In fact, they all seemed really excited!" Elli's chocolate eyes shined as she spoke. I sighed. Why did I think she wasn't telling the truth?

Before I could protest, my friend had pulled me through the large door and into the Inn. I saw all the girls I'd met before sitting at a table—Ann, Popuri, Karen, and Mary—and they were staring blankly at us. Elli ran over, all smiles.

"Hey guys! You remember Claire," She waved at me to come over, and reluctantly my legs obeyed. As I neared the table Elli sat down and pulled me down into the only other open chair—right next to her and across from Mary, who was staring at her lap.

Ann was the first one to speak up, "So, Claire, where're you from?"

"Yeah, and why'd you come to town?" Popuri chimed in. Karen nodded towards my red t-shirt.

"Nice top." She sneered. Well, it sounded like she sneered, but I didn't know if that was just how she complimented people.

"Uh… I, um," I stuttered, staring at my hands. "I'm, uh, fr-"

"Don't be so uncouth, girls. Maybe Claire doesn't want to tell us so much. Maybe it's personal." Someone cut me off. I looked up at my savior, finding a dark-haired, glasses-clad girl watching the table in front of me.

"Um, yes, it is sort of personal. Thanks, Mary." I smiled gratefully and she looked up at me. She grinned back, but not as brightly as everyone else in this town seemed to smile. Her smile didn't reach her ebony eyes.

"Sorry, Claire," Ann apologized, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly, "So, who's ready to party?"

All the girls either smiled or shouted, pumping their fist in the air. I prepared myself for what could possibly come next.

**Karen's POV, Two hours later**

"Turn it up!" I heard Popuri's high-pitched voice shout. Ann promptly clicked the rather obnoxious music up again and went back to jumping on a bed with Popuri and Elli.

I was dancing on the other bed, and Claire was sitting on the floor near Mary. We had moved upstairs moments earlier and were goofing off like a bunch of insane teenagers. It was fun.

"Hey, Claire, come on up here!" Elli shouted, but you could just barely hear her over the roar of the weird techno-ish music. Claire looked around nervously.

"Um, no thanks, Elli. I'm not very good with… Jumping on beds," She finished, cringing at her lame excuse. Popuri gave her a disbelieving stare as she bounced.

"Are you serious?! Come on!" She jumped down, her pink hair bobbing, and yanked Claire up. "Woah, Claire, you're really light. You make Karen here seem like an anvil or something!"

My eyebrows raised, "_Excuse_ me?"

Popuri giggled nervously, "Oh, nothing. Sorry."

I looked over at Ann and Elli who were now doubled over on the bed in hysterical laughter. Mary was biting back a smile, too. I glanced at Claire, who seemed to feel totally out of place. I took this opportunity to inspect her.

She had a nice shape, I supposed, but she looked a little _too_ thin. Her face was well defined and she had high cheekbones, but she was too skinny up there as well. She wasn't tan at all; she was actually really, really pale. Almost translucent, I decided. She had huge sapphire-blue eyes and thick lashes, contrasting greatly with my small green ones. She had a small nose and very light pink lips—Nothing too special there. Her hair was thin but long, straight and blonde, and she sported bangs in the front. Even in her hideous baggy red t-shirt and plain blue jeans you could tell she had a nice figure, especially for someone so abnormally thin. With a little makeup and a better wardrobe, I think she could potentially take my position of prettiest girl in town.

And believe me, that is _not_ something _she_ should be.

**Claire's POV**

"Hey Claire, come here for a second!" Karen waved me over to the far bed. I immediately obeyed, happy to be saved from bouncing up and down unpleasantly on that bed with Popuri and Elli.

"Yeah, Karen? What's up?" I asked as I neared her. She patted the spot next to her on the bed. I sat, and she looked at me, seriousness evident in her eyes.

"Claire, are you okay? You don't look so good," She whispered, making it hard to hear her over the music.

"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled; I felt just fine…

"Well, you look really pale. Like, _really_ pale. And you're sweating." She motioned to my face and wrinkled her nose, "You smell kind of bad, too. Do you have, like, overactive b.o.?"

I gaped at her. Did she just insult me? "Karen, I-"

"And why're you wearing _that_ necklace with _that_ shirt, anyways? Everyone knows you _never_ wear silver with red. Wait—Is that a _locket_? Lockets are _so_ last decade. No one wears them anymore. You should probably go throw it out."

I stood there in shock, my hand rising up absentmindedly towards my precious locket. I could feel the tears in my eyes forming. I stood, staring at the green-eyed woman before me. I blinked and felt the hot, salty tears stream down my face. The room started to fade around me and the blaring music died away as I registered her words. Throw it away? My locket? No…

"No!" I screamed and darted out of the large room, leaving a bunch of confused girls on a bed and another smirking to herself.

**Gray's POV**

I sighed angrily as I sat up on my bed, not being able to drown out the earsplitting noise coming from the other side of the wall. Wasn't there supposed to be some sort of rule in inns that said you couldn't blare music late at night? I slid off the bed and glared at Cliff's sleeping form. How was he sleeping through that racket?

"Gray, if your leaving, please shut them up," I heard the body of Cliff mumble into his pillow. Ah, so he wasn't asleep after all.

"Sure thing," I muttered and stomped to the door. I entered the hallways and neared the door of the room just as it swung open. I froze as a mass of blonde hair slammed the door shut again and turned to run. Unfortunately, I was directly in her path. She smashed into me, and to my surprise, I wasn't even affected. The girl seemed to bounce right off me and onto the floor.

"Ouch," She grunted as she hit the ground. She looked up at me and I almost gasped. _Almost_.

Her blue eyes were bloodshot and magnified with tears that had created a river of sorts when they flowed down her blotchy face. She was sniffling and panting as she stared up at me in total vulnerability. I watched her expectantly, and she didn't move, so after several moments I sighed.

"Here," I reached out my hand and she reluctantly took it, pulling herself up, "What the hell happened to you?"

She stared intently at the ground, almost looking like she was debating something in her head. I noticed her hand had made its way up to a necklace or something around her neck.

"What's that?" I nodded towards the necklace. She remained silent—aside from the occasional shaky breath—and just… Stared at the floor. Well, she was annoying me.

"I-It's just a locket…" She whispered. I furrowed my brow and opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by that girl breaking down and sobbing. And I mean totally uncontrollable _bawling_. I just watched her in complete astonishment as she raced past me and down the stairs, her hands to her face. Now, I didn't want her to hurt herself or anything, but I sure as hell wasn't going to chase her. What would I do when I caught up to her? She _hates_ me. I'd probably get kicked in the shin or something like that.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when the loud music was turned off and the door of the room opened, revealing a small crowd of worried girls.

"Oh! Gray! Did you see where Claire went?!" A frantic Elli asked. I just pointed towards the staircase, and before I could say anything else, the mess of ladies sprinted in that direction, leaving me to wonder about what could have possibly happened to that new farmer girl.

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**Oh noez. And yes, there is a reason Claire's so hypersensitive and that Karen's so mean. Something deeper than looks. Ooooh. Mystery. Review, please!**


	7. Extreme Makeover: Farm Edition Part 1

**:O Another double update?! How can this be?! ...Read the bottom author's note and find out. XD**

**Review replies! BD**

**_HarvestLove_-- Here it is! :D**

**_Eve Pomme_-- I'm glad you liked them! I was afraid I got Karen horribly OOC, and I was at a loss with Popuri. Elli seems to ave too much pep, but I figured she can burn it off one way or another. XD And yes, BAD KAREN! XDDD**

**_Durotos_-- Yes, what will we do with that Elli? ...BTW, I spelled her name "Elle" on purpose sometimes; as a nickname. Just in case anyone thought it was a typo. XD I make a point of doing everyone's POV at least once in this story by the time it ends. And I always figured that the Inn has really thin walls, because that works well for eavesdropping and eavesdropping works well for juicy fanfics, as you all will find out later. ...Crud, I've said too much .;;**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or any of its characters. I really, _really _want Gray, though...  
**

**ONWARD!**

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**Claire's POV**

I raced down the dark path as fast as my legs would carry me. I could barely see where I was going with the tears stinging my eyes and blurring my vision. I felt the cool metal pounding against my chest as I ran. I turned one last corner and finally made my way onto my farm. I flew through the door and into my pitch-black house, the now familiar musty scent entering my nostrils. I didn't want to sit on my disgusting excuse for a bed, so I just plopped down onto the hard wooden floor and sobbed.

I sobbed harder than I ever had in my memories. No one had said anything to me like what Karen had. No one spoken to me like that ever before. I didn't even know _why_ she'd say that. 'Maybe she was just trying to help? She wouldn't know that my locket is special, would she?' I thought.

As I cried, a heard what sounded like people calling my name. I decided to ignore it. It's not like I wanted people I hardly knew to have to watch me sob.

"Claire? Claire! Claire, are you in here?" I heard someone shout right outside my door, "Well, if you are, we're coming in, okay?"

I ignored them again as the door opened slowly, allowing a portion of the room to be bathed in white moonlight. I saw the figures of a few girls in my doorway through my tears, and they ran over to me.

"Oh, Claire, are you okay?!" That was Elli. I could tell by her super-sweet voice.

"What the hell happened?!" Hm, that's a tough one. Ann, probably. She has that somewhat-girlish voice.

"Claire…" Someone whispered. I figured it wasn't Karen, and Popuri would probably be shouting like Ann and Elli, so it must've been Mary. I looked up at the three of them and saw no one else here.

"I-I'm fine, guys," I breathed, "Thanks for worrying," I smiled weakly. Ann and Elli sighed helplessly and Mary stood back, staring at the floor.

"Claire, what happened back there? You seriously just ran out of the room in hysterics," Elli said.

"Um… Mood swings?" I shrugged, wiping my nose with my arm. 'Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it…' I pleaded in my head.

Ann and Elli exchanged glances and shrugged. "Okay then," Ann smiled, "As long as you're okay now."

I cleared my throat and grinned at Elli and Ann. I finally had some friends.

"Claire? Um, do you live here?" Mary asked from near the door, studying the old and dusty table. Ann and Elli glanced around as well, and by the tiny shriek my brunette friend made when she saw the nasty bed, I could tell they weren't happy with my conditions.

"Omigosh I think I just saw a bug!" Elli screamed and ran over to Mary, who had been silently inspecting the empty diary on my nightstand. Ann rolled her eyes at them.

"Elli, you are such a wimp." She sighed. I laughed sheepishly.

"Well, I sort of live here, Mary. I haven't actually spent a night here—Unless you count my first night here—but I do own this place. And I know. It's disgusting."

Mary nodded in understanding and Elli ran up to me in excitement. "Oh my gosh, Claire, I just had the best idea. I mean, it's totally awesome. Seriously."

"What is it, Elli?" Ann asked, walking over to us. Mary came over as well, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Elli glanced around the room—A sad attempt at building suspense. She finally burst out, "We can redo your house together!"

…Silence.

"Um, Elle, I have like _no_ money. I can't afford anything to fix this place with." I stated glumly.

"Well, what if we just got some of our old stuff that we don't use anymore and give it to you? It's not like it'd be missed," Elli argued. I shook my head.

"No, no… I couldn't accept that. It's way too much to take all that from you guys, especially since I just met you and all."

"…Actually, that could work, Elli," Ann said slowly, "Do you guys remember how my dad redecorated the guest rooms last year? Well, we still have all that extra furniture and bedding and stuff. I think we even have an extra mattress."

"My parents have a ton of potted plants, and my mom used to quilt in her spare time. Oh, and we have a ton of dishes and old table clothes," Mary stated, a faint smile growing across her face.

"Yes! I have a few small things in my room at the Clinic I don't use anymore, too. Oh Claire! This is going to be so fun! I love decorating!" Elli beamed. She and Ann began chatting rapidly about something furniture-related, and I was left in an awkward situation standing next to Mary.

"Hey, Mary," I said, getting the librarian's attention, "Thanks for helping me out. I don't really get why you guys are so eager to give me your stuff, but I appreciate it a lot."

She smiled, "Everyone here is really hospitable. They adore pretty much anyone who comes by. It's essentially that once you come here, you're part of our big family. Everyone will protect you, whether you like it or not."

I thought about that for a moment. So by moving in there, I became a member of Mineral Town's family? That was truly overwhelming. I smiled at Mary, unable to otherwise express my happiness.

**Claire's POV, Three days later**

I skipped down the path to meet Ann, Elli, and Mary at the Inn. The three of us had worked everything out. With minor persuasion, Ann had convinced her father to let me have their old furniture. She told me that her dad really likes me, and that only creeped me out a little. Mary's parents, on the other hand, were apparently a bit harder to convince. I had initially told Mary that if they didn't want to give me their old things willingly, then I didn't want to push any more. Somehow Mary had managed to get her parents to happily donate some dishes and other things.

As I came up to the Inn, I saw Ann and Mary were already having a conversation outside on the path. They waved me over and once I came near them, Ann beamed.

"Claire! We got all the stuff moved over to your farm already!"

"You did? Bu-but… I was there, like, all day…" I raised my eyebrows.

"It was really easy to move it all in one trip with Cliff and Gray's help." Mary said, adjusting her glasses. I sighed.

"You made Gray and Cliff lug the stuff for my house all the way across town? I barely know Cliff, and I think that Gray thinks I'm a total freak. I'm surprised they helped out."

"Oh, we took care of that, eh, Mary?" Ann nudged the librarian's arm with her elbow and winked, causing poor Mary to flush a deep crimson.

"W-what? Oh, no, no. We did nothing of the sort! Well, _I_ did nothing of that sort. I don't know about Ann, but all I did was ask Gray to help."

"W-what?!" I watched as Ann's face turned the color of a cherry, "I was just kidding! All I did was ask Cliff, too," The redhead sulked, embarrassed.

"Jeez, you two. You have those guys wrapped around your fingers." I laughed. Ann chuckled with me, but Mary's face seemed to pale a little. Before I could say anything, though, she spoke up.

"Elli couldn't come today. She told me to tell you she was 'really, really, really, super sorry!' Doctor told her she had to work, since it was unprofessional to skip work more than once a week for no reason,"

I shrugged, "Well, I guess there's no changing Doctor's mind… We'd better get a move on, though; once the sun sets, we won't have any light to work with!"

"Oh, that's right! We'd better go!" Ann declared, grinning.

We all laughed and took off down the path together, ready to clean until the sun set.

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**Oh, looky there. It went from undeniable angst to happy-go-lucky in under 2,000 words. It takes talent to do that. Well, talent, or horrible transitions. Tell me what you thought! ...Oh, the next chapter is short and really is filler. I consider it part two of this chapter, so... ANOTHER DOUBLE UPDATE!**

**Dang. And this story already has as many chapters as One Winter does. OH! For _all _you people out there reading OW (yeah, not really that many), it is NOT discontinued. It is put on hold until the end of December, when the last few chapters will really hit home, what with the holidays and all. So sit tight and don't take it off your alert list! XD**

**REVIEW! :D  
**


	8. Extreme Makeover: Farm Edition Part 2

**Part two, sort of. Not much here that has anything too important to the plot, but it was fun to describe Claire's house. :3**

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**Mary's POV**

"Ann, how can you possibly clean so quickly?" Claire asked, or rather, groaned.

We had been cleaning out Claire's farmhouse for the past two hours, and it was implausibly tiring. Claire and I were leaning against the freshly dusted wall watching Ann buzz around the room with a feather duster and a washcloth.

"I clean the rooms at the Inn everyday. I get lots of practice," Ann said, dusting off the wall opposite of the one Claire and I were on, "You two should go clean the windows. Look at them, they're disgusting."

Claire warily pulled herself up and I followed suit. I walked over to our little pile of cleaning utensils and picked up a bucket filled with water, a squeegee, and a towel. Claire took the bucket from me and I smiled a silent 'thank you' as we sluggishly headed outside to the first window.

Claire dunked the squeegee into the water and began scrubbing at the glass. I shielded my eyes from the intense spring sun. After several moments of silence, I spoke, "Claire, why'd you come to Mineral Town? I mean, to farm? Did you live on a farm as a child, or did you always want to be a farmer?"

She stopped her washing for a second, and then began again, "Well, I never actually thought of farming before I saw an ad in the paper for this place. I just needed somewhere to go, and it needed to be cheap," she stopped scrubbing and turned to me, "But I'm really glad I came here. You guys are better friends than any of my old ones, and I just met you the other day."

I grinned, "But if you needed someplace to go so badly, why didn't you go back to your parents? Wouldn't they let you come home?" She had turned back around and began to wipe the water away with the towel. When she didn't answer, I gasped, "Oh my goodness Claire, I'm sorry. I didn't think that-"

"No, no… My parents are alive and well. At least I think. I haven't really heard from them in a few years, but it's not like we were ever in contact after I, um, moved out." She explained. I nodded, not finding anything else to say.

We worked on the windows for a while until Ann came outside and shouted, "We're all ready for the furniture, guys! Let's get designing!"

Claire and I dropped our utensils and ran over to Ann, who was in the doorway of the house. Ann and I had had Gray and Cliff leave the furnishings right next to the door so we could move them inside easily. Ann, Claire, and I had moved all of the existing stuff from the house outside as well, so we had a completely blank slate.

"Oooooh! I'm so excited! Let's get started, okay?" Claire asked. I nodded and Ann walked over to the pile of fixtures.

"Okay. So, Claire, there is only so much room in your tiny home, and there are certain things you _need_. So why don't we pick out the necessities first, and then add in the extras?" Ann asked as she pulled an old-looking purple vase off the top of the stack. Claire nodded.

"Sure. So, I'll _need_ a battery-powered lamp, a table, at least one chair, a bed, and my tool bin, right? Oh! And a dresser or chest for my clothes," She observed, scanning through the objects.

After at least an hour of sorting and wading through random pieces of furniture, we had all of Claire's stuff in a pile. Most of it was from the Inn's old furniture collection—A bunch of wooden furniture that was painted a nice pastel green. She had a four-person green table, four green chairs, a twin-sized green bed frame and a green headboard.

The walls of her house ended up being a light cream color, and that went well with the old curtains my parents had. They were light tangerine-ish and cream gingham, and luckily they had matching placemats and a matching tablecloth. We put the tablecloth on the green table diagonally, so the corners of the cloth hanged off the sides of the table, and we put one of the placemats on Claire's old nightstand.

We used the only battery-powered lamp we could find and set it on the nightstand. It was an odd turquoise color, and it totally clashed with everything else in the room. Claire's bedspread was one that Ann's father found in a storage closet. It was green, blue, yellow, and purple patchwork and it had a matching pillowcase. We ended up throwing out Claire's old TV, since it was so huge and dysfunctional.

Ann had cleaned out some of her wardrobe and came up with an empty purple dresser for Claire to put her clothes in, and I gave Claire a few of my old favorite books to keep in her bookshelf. My father gave Claire a potted plant that had a Moondrop flower growing in it, and he told her that since she liked growing things she should keep a plant indoors, too.

I watched Claire set that odd, empty diary on the nightstand. She turned around and beamed, "Finished!"

We all cheered and plopped down on Claire's bed. It had been a long and exhausting day. "Elli better feel bad for making us do all this work. It originally her idea, too," Ann muttered, yawning.

"I know. But you guys are seriously awesome. I cannot believe you actually did this for me! My house is actually nice!" Claire squealed. I chuckled.

"No problem, Claire. It was actually fun, in a weird way." I said, sitting up and stretching my back, "Besides, the only other thing I had to do today was go on a walk with my parents. I've done that every week for the last seventeen years."

"Oooooh, Mary seems a little rebellious," Ann teased. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't being rebellious, I was just complaining. Complaints and rebellions are two totally different things. …Right?

"Hey, Mary, it's getting a little late. You wanna walk home with me?" Ann asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I nodded, glancing out the window at the setting sun.

We all got up and wandered over to the door where Claire waved to us as Ann and I left her large farm. I was so tired, I felt like I was about to fall asleep in the middle of the pathway through town.

I looked over at the sunset and marveled at its beauty. So many shades of red and orange and pink… How many colors can one thing be? I always loved color. I never really was happy that my eyes and hair were both black. There's no excitement in that, no _color_.

It was somewhat ironic, I realized, that one of my best friends' name is the opposite of colorful… I sighed. I didn't really want to think about him at that moment; I didn't want to spoil such a beautiful sunset.

* * *

**Cookies to whoever can guess who Mary didn't want to think about! Oh, and I'll give a slice of cake to anyone who tries to guess _why _she didn't want to think about him. And my cake is 100% TRUTH. [/P0rtaljoke]**

**REVIEW IF YOU WANT COOKIES! BD**


	9. Sick

***GASP* Another update. I cannot believe this. And I'm not even waiting for reviews. Thank you, _HarvestLove_, for reviewing the last chapters!**

**Twisty-ness here. It's the first time-skip of the story, and it was the most odd thing I think I've ever written. So far. *Coughthat'snotareferencetothisstory'splotatALLCough* ... *Coughandthatwasn'tsarcasmatALLCough*  
**

**I don't own Harvest Moon. D:**

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**Claire's POV**

I slowly opened my eyes, abruptly disturbed from my sleep by a freezing feeling in my feet. I glanced around my home, noticing that there was barely any light coming though the window by my bed. I figured it was still very early. Sighing, I sat up. I swayed and had to reach out to my nightstand to steady myself.

"Damn lightheadedness…" I muttered, cradling my aching head. I closed my eyes and exhaled painfully. I was sick. It had been almost two whole weeks since Ann and Mary had helped me with my house, and I was wondering why things were going so well. Seriously, there was _nothing_ bad going on. Well, aside from that weird Karen fiasco, but I still wasn't convinced she made me feel bad on purpose.

I stood up slowly, the cold air inside my house hitting my bare legs. I was wearing pajama shorts and a camisole to sleep in, but I supposed maybe I'd let myself get a bit too cold at night. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out my light blue robe. Throwing it on, I made my way over to the window and looked out.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Rain. It was raining. No wonder I thought it was still dark out: the gray clouds were covering the sun. I pulled my robe closer to myself and opened up my window; allowing the brisk, damp, earthy smell to creep past me and into my home. I slid the glass shut again, growing tired of the chilled air. Why did I have to be sick? It wasn't like I had any animals or crops or anything, but still. I hated being sick. It only made a big fuss and no one would leave me alone for more than twenty seconds.

Wait…

"I'm already alone!" I exclaimed, ignoring the burning in my throat when I did so. I smiled. This was actually the first time I was able to keep to myself when I was ill. I was going to enjoy it, even if I was miserable with headaches and sore throats and nausea and sneezing…

"Crap," I plopped down onto my bed again, realizing my actual condition, "I'm sick."

**Elli's POV**

"It's raining, it's pouring," I sang quietly as I walked down the path to Claire's farm, my white umbrella shielding me from the showers. I pulled my dark blue coat closer to my body as I entered my friend's property. I glanced around, and not seeing anyone outside, looked at my watch. "Hm… It's almost noon. I wonder where Claire is?"

I sloshed across the grass and over to the door of the farmhouse. I knocked three times and waited.

"…Come in," I heard a muffled voice say softly. I shut my umbrella and opened the door.

Inside it was really, really dark. I scanned the room and quickly found Claire lying down on her bed, her face buried in her pillow. She turned over and looked at me.

"Hey, Elle. What's up?" She asked tiredly. I raised my eyebrow.

"Claire, are you feeling alright?" I walked over to her bed. She had dark circles under her eyes and her skin was even more pale than usual. "Are you sick?"

She inhaled sharply as she sat up. "Yeah, I'm sick, but I'll be fine. I'm always catching colds and whatnot," She explained weakly, "so I'm used to it. I'll be okay."

I studied her face worriedly, thinking for a moment. 'If she gets sick so often, should we keep her in the Clinic? No, no. That wouldn't work out so well. I'm sure she doesn't want to be living out of a hospital…' I thought, 'Maybe I should take her just for a check-up?'

"Claire?" I asked, "Why don't we go to the Clinic? You should probably have a check-up, so we can… Um, get to know you better as a patient?" I tried. She didn't seem to be very conscious, so I assumed she couldn't tell how stupid my reason was. She nodded drowsily and I helped her up.

"Thanks, Elli. Let me get dressed before we leave, though. I don't really want to go through town in my stupid pajamas." She explained, making her way over to her dresser and pulling out stretchy back pants and a long-sleeved, baggy, purple shirt. She pulled it on in a matter of moments, put her hair back in a loose ponytail, and we were off.

As we neared the Clinic, the rain was letting up, so I closed my umbrella. We walked inside and I smiled as the familiar sterile scent wafted into my nose.

**Claire's POV**

As we walked inside, I rolled my eyes at the all-to-familiar sterile scent that was generic to every hospital. I noticed Elli smiling to herself, so I put on a grin, too. She glanced around and called out, "Doctor? We have a patient!"

I rolled my eyes again. I hated being a patient.

**Doctor's POV**

"Doctor? We have a patient!"

I sighed and put my paperwork away at the sound of Elli's voice. Standing up, I made my way into the lobby from my office and found the nurse with that new girl—Claire, I believe she was.

"Hello Elli, Claire," I nodded, "What seems to be the problem?"

"Claire's sick," Elli said, and then stepped closer and added at a noticeably lower volume, "She told me she _always_ gets sick. I think there may be something more serious than just a cold here."

I nodded and Elli smiled and said something to Claire before going back to her chair behind the front desk. I was left with a drained-looking blonde studying the tile floor in front of her. She did look sick, I noticed: drained face, dark eyes, and an overall gloominess…

"Let's go into my office, Claire." I suggested. Without a word the farmer walked through the dividers and into my office. I guess she didn't have a fear of hospitals, then. I followed her and sat down at my desk, motioning for her to sit at a chair across from me.

"Why am I here?" Claire asked blankly. I furrowed my brow.

"Because you're sick," I started, but she spoke before I could continue.

"If it was just because I was sick, I would be out in the lobby, with Elli giving my some advice and selling me a bottle of medicine. If it was just because I was sick, I wouldn't be sitting in your office. I know enough about how places like this work to say that a cold doesn't require a patient to sit in a doctor's office. So why am I here, _really_?"

I bit my lip and studied the pen sitting on my desk. "Claire," I sighed, "Do you get sick like this often?"

She stared intently at the end of my desk, "Yeah."

"How often, do you know?" I pressed, watching her face; waiting for the response. She looked up at me and we made eye contact. I just then noticed the piercing sapphire blue color of her eyes for the first time. They were so tired and lonely. She looked like a lost child: fragile and gone.

"Probably once every three or four weeks. I get over them in a few days, most of the time. I just… I have a weak immune system, that's all." She said, fidgeting with her hands.

"Have you ever gotten a more serious illness or any other medical problems?" I asked, going through the list of typical questions one would normally raise. Her face turned hard as stone for a moment before she answered.

"Don't you have my file? I thought all this stuff was in there. I have asthma, if that counts," She looked at me through cheerless, dull eyes that made me ache deep inside my chest, "So can I go now?"

Not able to speak, I nodded, and she left without another word. I slumped down in my seat. What did I just feel? I'd seen countless sad people, many miserable times, and numerous fatal illnesses, but not once had I felt that awful pounding in my chest when I was with a patient. I'd never even felt that when I _wasn't_ with a patient. It was totally foreign to me, and yet, it seemed like it was the most natural feeling in the world. Her eyes… I had felt like I needed to comfort her, to hug her, to do _something_…

I shook my head, ridding the thought from my mind. I went to the file cabinet and searched for the farmer's file; now I _needed_ to know her history. After skimming through all the folders three times, I reached the conclusion that it was gone. I had lost her file.

I leaned over my desk with my head on my hands. I had never had anyone's medical past withheld from me before, and now, this mysterious girl comes along and I feel the need to know so I could help her. I was compelling myself to help her—to make her well again—whether she wanted it or not, and it was alarming me to a point which I could not understand.

I had only just met this girl, and I felt more for her than I felt for anyone else I'd ever known in all of my memories.

"Elli, I… I think we need to close early today,"

* * *

**Darn. After I read this and reread this, I can't help but think how stupidly WEIRD it is. And it looks like Claire has ten million different personalities. Happy, sad, sick, snappy, angry... What the heck is wrong with me? -_-**

**Please review, guys. I think I just punched myself right in the self-confidence gland. *Buries self in a hole by the freeway***


	10. Good Friends

Oh no! It's been WAY too long! I'm sorry for the long wait! And, I'm also sorry for the teeny chapter sizes. Well... Here's an update I've actually had written for three weeks. Don't kill me for not posting it sooner! I haven't turned my computer on since the last time I updated! D:

Review Replies!

_**Hannah-Senpai:** Haha, yeah, let's go with that. XD_

_**yue asahi:** Thanks for reviewing so many times! It means a lot! I shall give you an entire basket of cookies. Here you go! *Gives* :D_

_**HarvestMike:** Yay! You found my story! :D Thanks for reviewing, and here's the next chapter! I hope you like it! :DDD_

_**xTrueEmotion:** Yes! Another GFaqs user found me! I'm glad you like it! Here's another chapter after a long wait. I hope you check back ^^;;;_

_**HmGirly:** :O You're reviewing my story! *Dies* ...Sorry, major fan here. XDDD Don't kill me! I'm updating! And I'm glad to hear you're into my story. Since I'm on break, I get to write a lot! Yay? I suppose... Except for my painful amount of Advanced English homework. Ew. Here's the next chapter so you won't murder me!_

Okay, here's something: Thoughts are now written in italics. It's easier to see them that way, I think._ So this is my thought right now,_ and this is not. BD

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or any of its characters. I have Gray's hat in my closet, though.

* * *

**Popuri's POV**

"So… Why'd you need me to come over, Karen?" I asked as I sat down on my friend's bed. We were over in the back room of the Supermarket, since Karen came over early and told me to come because she had something serious to talk about.

Karen smirked and sat next to me, "That new girl, Claire," She started, "what did you think of her?"

I frowned to myself, thinking hard. "Well…" I paused, "She isn't _that_ bad, I suppose,"

"Poppy, you can tell me. What do you _really_ think of her?" She looked at me through eyes shining with concern. I looked down at my hands.

"W-Well, I don't know… I guess I don't like her all that much, after all," I frowned. Karen put her hand on my shoulder.

"Why?"

"It's stupid," I warned, "but Elli told me that Claire reminded her of me and so now I'm afraid Claire is going to replace me! Oh, Karen, what do I do?"

I looked up at the brunette, and she looked… Amused? Her face quickly turned to a much more worried look, "Oh, Poppy, don't worry. We'll work something out."

I watched her, confused, as she smiled.

**Claire's POV**

"Three days… Three damn days! Why does it rain so much?! Ann, you gotta help me out here," I complained, my head resting on the Inn's bar. The redhead looked at me incredulously.

"And how would I do that?" She asked as she wiped down the wooden countertop. I sighed.

"I don't know! I'm just dying of boredom! I'm not sick anymore, which is good, but Elli won't let me go outside if it's raining because she's worried about me." I explained. Ann raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? Why is she worried about you? You're a grown woman." She said, putting her rag away.

"I don't know," I paused, before adding to myself, "I thought I got away from this when I left the city…"

Ann furrowed her brow, "Is that why you left the city?"

My eyes widened slightly, "Wh-what? Oh, um, no… I was just talking to myself."

She raised an eyebrow at me, but shrugged it off and started to set up for the bar. I watched her pull out the glasses and set out new napkins, but my mind was elsewhere. _'Am I really that much better off here? Now I have friends, but they worry about me just as much as mom did… But they're friends, so they're supposed to worry about you, right? I don't know. I never really had friends…'_ I thought.

"Hey, Ann?"

"Yeah?" The waitress didn't stop her preparation as she spoke. I frowned faintly.

"Are friends supposed to worry about you?" I asked, only just afterwards realizing what an odd question it was. Ann stopped and looked up at me.

"Only the good kind."

**Mary's POV, The next day**

I sat at my desk, struggling to continue on in my book. I had been reading it for five hours, and I hated to admit it, but it was beginning to bore me. How many stories can one read about Prince Charmings, distressed princesses, and evil dragons before they figure out the ending? The Prince Charming will always slay the dragon and rescue the princess, they'll fall in love, and live happily ever after.

I woke out of my thoughts as the bell at the door rang, telling me someone was entering. I smiled at the young man who made his way through the doorway. "Good afternoon, Gray," I greeted. He nodded.

"Hey, Mary."

As thankful as I was for company, I was almost disappointed that it was the blacksmith who came. He was certainly nice, and he had his sweet moments, but he was just too quiet to be the person one would hope to have as company. I watched him as he sat down at his usual chair and pulled out the same book he'd been reading periodically over the last season.

"So, summer is starting tomorrow, huh?" I asked, wishing for conversation. Gray frowned slightly.

"Mhm," He nodded. I spoke again.

"That means Kai's coming back… I'll bet he'll be surprised when he finds there's a new villager."

"That girl will be wishing summer was over once she meets that idiot," Gray snorted, "Kai'll be all over her if she's not careful."

I furrowed my brow, "Kai isn't that bad, Gray," I scowled at my desk. Kai really wasn't that bad. Sure, he wasn't the smartest guy, and he did have a reputation for hitting on several girls multiple times a day, but he meant well. I wished Gray wouldn't be so negative about him. Suddenly, an idea formed in my head. I don't know why, but I felt like picking on Gray...

"I thought Kai was only 'all over' the pretty girls. Or at least, that's what you said before," I paused, "So wouldn't that make Claire pretty? I mean, you _did _say that Kai'd be hitting on her, and you _also _said he only hits on the pretty girls..."

Oh, if only you could see the color Gray turned after that. I knew he and Claire weren't on good terms; the farmer had told me that before. If she and Gray were getting along, I knew that my comment wouldn't have had nearly that much of an effect.

"N-no, well, yes, but-" He stuttered. I couldn't help myself: I burst out in laughter. This only succeeded in turning his face an even darker shade. "Mary! You did that on purpose!" He growled.

Through my tears and hilarity I managed to choke out an agreement with his theory. He scowled and stormed up the stairs. I knew he would do that; he never could cope with embarrassment well. It was only minutes later when he came back down with a new book. After what seemed like hours of dreadful silence, he spoke again.

"Well, like you said, summer starts tomorrow, and that means the Beach Opening," He stopped.

"Gray, that's not even a real festival," I rolled my eyes. He continued.

"You wanna go anyway?"

"With you?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe."

He went back to reading and so did I... Okay, maybe neither of us were the best at flirting. It didn't really matter. It was just Gray, anyways; it's not like I _was_ flirting with _him_.

…Great, now I've confused myself.


	11. Who Takes a Date to the Beach Opening?

**Oh... My... Gosh... It's been way, way too long. Especially since all I have for you is this itty-bitty 1,232 word... _thing_. I hate writing in Doc's POV... It's so hard! Well, here's the first part of Summer Day 1, and it's... not that amazing. But it is an important chapter.**

**Review replies!**

**HmGirly:** _I really liked that part too XD Graire, oh, poor Graire... Since this fic is *supposed* to be like 100+ chapters (it won't. darn) things have to move sssssllllloooooooooooowllllllly. And your murder threats were what gopt me updatiung, actually. that, and that I don't want anyone to remove the fic fromt their alerts ;-; XD_

**Jean Cooper:** _Haha, this is cool. I have my two favorite authors reading one of my fics. Kai is in the next chapter, which will come much sooner than this one did. Kai will be fun to write about, so I can't wait to start it :3 Here's more storyness! XD_

**Mikan-senpai:** _That's great to hear! I'm happy you love it :3_

**Durotos:** _Thanks for the multiple reviews. I love those! So, yes, Gray and Mary's relationship is going to be as realistic and in-character as I can possibly write in this fic. Which means I can't make Mary a psycho XD Thanks for reviewing, again! :D_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or any of it's characters. I really do have Gray's hat, though.**

**ONWARD! XD**

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**Claire's POV**

"Ugh," I grunted, turning over in my bed, "Damn sun…"

I reluctantly tore my sheets off my body, glaring at the opening between the curtains at the window. Why did they put a window on that side of the house? No one likes to be blinded by sunlight every morning.

I ran a hand through my messy blonde hair and stood up. I stretched my arms into the air, yawning all the while. As I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of overalls and a red flannel shirt, I couldn't help but wonder if it was summer yet. '_It was supposed to start soon, wasn't it?' _

I changed into my farm attire and brushed my hair before heading outside. I scanned over my semi-clear field, sighing. Everything was so… _lonely_. No crops, no animals, no people… I didn't even have a dog. I clutched the locket around my neck as I shaded my face from the sun with my other hand. It was insanely bright for six in the morning, and I noticed there wasn't a cloud in sight.

Yep, it was summer.

I sighed and decided to take a walk, since I had nothing else to do.

**Gray's POV**

I moved my lantern over next to my bag and continued to pound away at the rock nearest to me. I couldn't believe that Gramps wouldn't let me go to one festival… One damn festival! Four years I'd been here, and I'd only ever gone to two festivals. And even after I'd asked Mary… If I'd told Gramps that, maybe he would've changed his mind and let me go, but there was no way in hell I was embarrassing myself like that just to go get a sunburn and sit in a pile of sand.

As I was thinking, I turned towards the entrance of the mines I was in, hearing footsteps. I grimaced when I saw that tiny farmer walked slowly up the hill, inspecting the Goddess Spring. She looked like she wasn't well lately, what with how pasty her skin had become…

_What the hell? I don't care!_

I grumbled incoherently as I went back to pounding that rock flat under my hammer.

**Claire's POV**

I grinned to myself as I stared down into the clear water of the pond I'd discovered. It was really, truly beautiful. I sighed and sat down, getting myself comfortable. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was already eight, but I just shrugged and laid back, enjoying the cool air around the water.

It seemed like hours later when I heard someone approach me from behind.

"Claire?"

I jolted up, knocking the person over on top of me somehow.

**Doctor's POV**

One moment I was looking down at a very still farmer, the next I was falling down to the ground at a startling speed. I landed with an "Oof," looking first to see where the blonde girl was. It didn't take long to locate her, though—I was on top of her.

I quickly stood up, brushing off my white coat hurriedly in an attempt to hide my flushed face. I then held my hand out to the farmer, hoping to help her up. She took my hand, and much to my surprise, hoisted herself up without me even feeling any extra weight.

"Sorry," She muttered, dusting off her overall's legs, "I didn't know you were there."

I waved my hand passively, "It's fine."

And then an awful silence fell. I had so many things I wanted—no, _needed_—to ask her, but… I just couldn't get myself to. I just stared straight ahead, trying to ignore the awkwardness.

"So…" Claire said, shifting in her spot, "What're you doing here this early?"

"Hm? Oh, since the Clinic's closed today, I figured I'd get some foraging done. The Clinic needs herbs in order to create its medicine, so I'd appreciate it if you shipped any herbs you find." I replied, almost mechanically. Claire looked mildly interested as she reached for her rucksack.

"You need herbs?" She asked, reaching into the bag, "Well, I just found this one walking up here. You can have it, if you like."

She handed me a purple plant and I grinned at it. I'd be able to make a good Bodigizer with this later today. It wasn't until a few moments later that I remembered the young lady standing in front of me. I looked up at her and nodded.

"Thank you, this is a great help." I said. She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"No problem," She smiled, and I figured this would be the best time to ask her my questions.

"So, um, I had to ask you something," I started, fiddling with the end of my sleeve. She watched me expectantly with her big blue eyes.

"Yes?"

"U-um, your file… It—" I stopped. What did I need to ask her again?

"My file? What?" She asked, her brow furrowed. She suddenly didn't look very happy…

"Uh, nothing," I said hurriedly. She raised one of her eyebrows, probably growing impatient with me.

"Then what did you need to ask me?"

I froze. Was it summer yet? Yes, it was… "I was going to ask you if you know what the Beach Opening is."

She cocked her head to the side, causing her blonde locks to bounce over her shoulder. "No, I don't. What is it?"

"It's a festival held on the first day of summer every year, to open the beach. They sell food and there's a dog Frisbee competition and other things of the sort. I normally don't go, because I'm too busy, but most of the village attends."

"Really?" She asked, her forehead creased in thought, "Well, that sounds fun, I suppose. I never really went to the beach before, back in the city."

"Would you like me to take you now?" I blurted, then mentally smacked myself. What was I trying to do?!

She appeared surprised at first, but then seemed to be thinking something over. The debate going on in her head was evident. After an awkward silence that lasted a few moments too long, she finally spoke.

"Sure. Thank you very much, Doctor." She smiled softly, and I was _going_ to smile back, but… I didn't.

We turned away from the Spring and headed off to the beach. This was going to be a very interesting day.

**Gray's POV**

I watched in utter confusion as the Doctor and that farmer walked away down the path together. They were going to the Beach Festival together? Who takes someone on a date to the Beach Opening?! It's not even a real festival! …Well, I had a date, but I wasn't going… I hate my grandpa.

Sighing heatedly, I picked up my bucket of ores. I put the lantern inside it with my hammer and exited the cave. I stomped past the pond, down the hill, and across the bridge to town. I angrily entered the Inn and put my bucket in my room, next to my bed. I grabbed a pair of swim trunks from my dresser and turned to leave.

I was going to that Beach Opening, dammit.

* * *

**Alright, now I have something that needs to be said, since I reread all of my fics. I do NOT use these words in my speaking vocabulary: Damn, dammit, crap, etc... XD Just had to say that, especially since those words are potentially going to get me banned from fanfiction until I'm like 18. My dad found some of my fanfics and read them, and commented on my "new language," which I then had to convince him was the character talking, not me.**

**So I had to clarify that. XDDDD**

**Review please, and excuse my rambling. :D**


	12. The Beach Opening Part 1

**...**

**Oh my dear goodness, has it really been the three months I think it's been? DX**

**Okay, so... I do have excuses, but none of them will sound too good. My main one is school. It's awful! But, y'know, there's just 36 more schooldays, I think. So close!**

**My birthday's on May 6th, and I'm super-excited. Yay for turning 14! XD**

**Review replies!**

_**xTrueEmotion:** It was so short, huh? Sorry! This one's slightly longer, but it's still painfully short. I just love it when guys are jealous, don't you? So sweet :3_

_**Sweet Quiet Angel:** Thank you! :D_

_**Crazy Cinnamon Goodness: **Very good guesses! Who knows, you may be right _ ANYWAYS, I'm not banned, and I'm back! ...sort of. lol. Your review made me smile, and it also made me realize how I need to pick up the pace with the updating! XD_

_**Mikan-senpai:** Yay, another person like me! XD Thankies! :3_

_**CaiCutie121:** Aw, thank you! I love Gray, too! I married him twice in MFoMT. XD If he were real... my goodness, i don't even know. I'd, like, die. XD_

_**Miss Psychic Lady:** Your review made me smile evilly. Haha, you have helped me realize the immense power in my writing. XD In all honesty, in the very original version of this fic, I DID kill off the main character. But that didn't work, so I made her randomly come back to life O.o You can relax, because I won't be killing her off anytime soon, Miss Psychic Lady ;)_

_**HarvestMike:** I live! And I write :3 Thanks for reviewing! And, also, I have absolutely no idea why Gray took his swimming trunks. I guess I got a little confused wioth my HM games there... XD Read this chapter! I probably mixed up so many more things! XD_

_**glowing moon:** Hiya lovemysadiebug! i rite moar nao. XD I like Gray's POV, but my fave to write is either Claire's or Mary's. Probably Claire's. XD Here's another chappie!_

**Okay! I hope I didn't miss any of them! Well, anyways, on with the story! XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or anything else that might be briefly mentioned by Mary. *Cough*  
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**Mary's POV**

I glanced back, again, towards the cement steps at the entrance to the beach. And, again, saw that he wasn't there. I sighed and leaned back against the large rock I'd situated my towel near, thinking. I didn't know why I felt so sad. It wasn't like I was actually looking forward to this or anything…

"Mary?"

I shifted my gaze over to Kai, who was holding one snowcone in each hand. He was grinning at me. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, adjusting my navy blue tankini so it was covering as much of my body as it possibly could.

"Hello, Kai."

"Do you mind if I sit here?" He asked, motioning to the spot on the sand next to me. I shrugged, still somewhat lost in thought. He sat down and handed me one of the snowcones.

"Oh, thank you," I said softly, "but aren't you supposed to be running your booth?" He laughed heartily, which confused me. I frowned. "What?"

"Nothing," he shook his head, "I just got Popuri to run it for a little while, that's all."

"You trust her with money?" I asked, but mainly to myself. He laughed again.

"Well, she's better than no one. Besides, if she wasn't manning the booth, I wouldn't be able to sit with the prettiest girl in town."

I rolled my eyes. "Karen's not here, Kai. And if you were talking about me, then you're more of a flirt than I thought."

He pursed his lips in thought. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

"Yeah, you kind of are." I said, leaning back again. He sighed.

"You know what, Mary? Just about every other girl I've ever met would've _at least_ blushed at that statement. Are you a robot?" He stared at me, and I couldn't help but notice the playful sparkle in his eye. Great, he's trying to flirt with me._ I'm definitely not in the mood for this._

"Well, I'm not quite as shallow as those girls. But wait—you've met Ann, right? She doesn't blush when you try to flirt with her. She punches you." I pointed out, shutting my eyes.

"True, but she's a tomboy. She only counts as half points."

I opened my eyes to glare at him. "You are such a pig."

"Your snowcone's melting," He said as he stood, "I'll catch ya later, Mary. Bye!"

And with that, he ran back into the crowd. I sighed and closed my eyes again. That Kai… he gives me headaches.

**Claire's POV**

This is beyond weird. I'm going to the beach with a doctor. You can't get much more bizarre than that. At least he wasn't being all… _nosy_ again. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.

"So… you said that there's food?" I asked. He nodded without saying anything, so I continued, "Um, what kind of food?"

"I'm not sure, actually…" he paused. I looked over at him. He shrugged. "All I know is that Kai opens up his stand and sells his cooking. Everyone raves about it all summer, so it must be pretty good."

I furrowed my brow. "Kai? Who's Kai?"

He looked at me for a second, but then returned his gaze straight ahead. "He's a traveler who opens up a restaurant on the beach here in the summer. I don't know him very well, personally, but from what I've heard from Elli he's quite the gentleman. I'm not too sure, though…"

"Oh? Why?" I asked, urging him to go on. He shook his head.

"No reason in particular. Oh, look—we're here."

And that we were. In front of me was the entrance to the beach, and I could see bright balloons tied in bunches all around. There was, of course, the ocean, but it looked especially blue with all the people on the beach—if that makes sense. There was a small table set up with trays of food on it, and it was decorated with streamers and pineapple-shaped confetti. Now that's what I call classy.

"Wow, it's so… festive!" I exclaimed, examining the remainder of the beach. The Doctor chuckled. Woah—wait. Did he really just laugh? Elli told me he doesn't show any emotion to anyone. Like, not even Elli. Creepy.

"Yes, I suppose it is," he said, walking down the steps, "do you want something to eat?"

I bit my lip. "Sure, but…"

"But what?" he asked, stopping his walk. I shook my head.

"Nevermind. Thank you."

He continued walking towards the table, and I scanned the beach for someone I knew. I saw Mary sitting alone on the far side of the beach. I would've gone over there, but Doctor probably wouldn't know where I was… I couldn't see Ann anywhere. I looked over towards the water and found Elli kneeling in the shallow water with May and Stu. I smiled and started over towards her. I had my eyes fixed on my friend and didn't notice someone walking right into my path. Well, actually, they were more running than walking. And they probably could've stopped before they ran into me. I fell down onto the sand with a muffled thud, twisting my ankle under me.

"Crap," I muttered, biting my lip and clutching my ankle. I saw a hand extended out to me and took it, hoisting myself up.

"Sorry," I heard mystery person mumble. _Oh, great. Him._

"It's okay," I said, ignoring the pain coursing through my ankle. He adjusted his hat and fidgeted in his spot, staring at the sand. "Uh, are you in a hurry to be somewhere?"

"Hm?" He looked up at me, revealing his deep blue eyes that almost any girl could drown in, "Oh, yeah, kind of."

"Oh."

He looked past my shoulder, as if contemplating whether or not it would be just a little _too_ rude to leave without saying anything else. Finally, he sighed, "I gotta go."

He started to walk past me, but I caught his shoulder, stopping him. He turned to face me, looking quite shocked, to say the least. He watched me expectantly as I let go of him. _What am I doing?!_

"Uh… I just wanted to… apologize for, um, running into you a few days ago. You know, at the Inn…?"

He raised one of his eyebrows. "Yeah, I remember… You pretty much had a psychotic breakdown and ran away."

I laughed nervously and rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, well… sorry. I was kind of, um… hassled? Yes, that's it, I was hassled."

He furrowed his brow at me skeptically and I tried to laugh it off. "Okay then. Um, I have to go, so…"

"Oh! Okay—"

"Claire?"

I turned around and saw the Doctor staring at me. I smiled nervously. "Hello, Doctor. I just ran into Gray here," I stopped and smiled at him over my shoulder, "and we were having a little chat. What's up?"

He handed me a small paper bag with some small brown nut-like objects in it. I picked one up and eyed it warily. "Are these peanuts?"

The Doctor nodded and I dropped the nut and shoved the bag into Gray's hands. He glared at me.

"Why are you giving it to me?!" He asked. Or, you know, shouted.

"I'm highly allergic to peanuts," I sighed, "Sorry."

**Gray's POV**

"Highly allergic?" I repeated, trying to figure out what to do with the plate the blonde had handed me. I saw her nod out of the corner of my eye.

"Yeah," she said, twirling a strand of hair embarrassedly, "My throat swells up and closes completely within a minute—if I eat one, I mean. Then it only takes five minutes and _bam_!" She snapped her finger, "I'm dead."

I gaped at her. The doctor gaped at her. We stood there, gaping at her. Did she realize how insane she sounded?

"Uh… I'm sorry, I'll put them somewhere else." The doctor said, taking the plate from me and pushing his way back through the crowd. He seemed… frazzled. I shook my head and my eye caught a flash of dark hair across the beach. Mary! I almost forgot!

"Hey, I really have to go." I said, walking away before the girl could protest or grab my arm again. I weaved skillfully through mazes of beach towels, sandcastles, and the occasional umbrella. Finally, I was just a few feet from the librarian, who was sitting alone on a towel near a large rock. She looked like she was reading a book. "What're you reading?"

She looked up at me, startled. "Oh, it's you! My goodness, Gray, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry." I said half-heartedly as I sat down next to her. She adjusted her glasses and closed the book.

"It's fine, I suppose. I was just catching up on Shakespeare's plays."

"Shakespeare?" I ask, "You're reading Shakespeare at the Beach Opening? Isn't it a little… difficult? I mean, isn't it hard to focus on that when everyone's participating in all the summer stuff?"

"I thought about that, but then decided it'd be easier if I brought something related to the festival to read." She said, staring at the cover of the bluish book.

"…What _did_ you bring?"

"_A Midsummer Night's Dream_." She said, grinning, "I don't care if the plot doesn't have anything much to do with summer. If it's in the title, it works for me."

**Mary's POV**

"If it's in the title, it works for me."

Lies. That's not true. Why do I always find myself making up things to say when I'm with Gray, just so we can have an unproductive two-minute conversation? At least he showed up. If I was left sitting on my towel alone… well, actually, I wouldn't mind it _that_ much. I'd still have Shakespeare to keep me company, and I wouldn't have to lie for the sake of idle chit-chat.

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**^^; I dunno why I added that Shakespeare bit in there. It probably just confused you. Oh well, it's foreshadowing!**

**...Wait, I'm not suppopsed to tell people that. Heh. Oops. XD**

**Review! And birthday presents will be accepted! *winkwinknudgenudge* XDDDDDDDD**


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